A short guide about Rwanda
Rwanda the ‘land of a thousand hills’, is a tiny landlocked enclave in Central Africa and shares its borders with Tanzania, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. Rwanda is experiencing a tourism rebound after falling off the map post-genocide 1994. The country is split by the Rift Valley, and dominated by a mountain range that traverses the country from north to south. The West coast of the country overlooks the beautiful shores of Lake Kivu. French and Kinyarwandais are spoken throughout the country, although English is now commonplace with the large amoung of people returning from Uganda.
The capital of Rwanda is Kigali, it isn't much to look at, but offers a comfortable place to get your feet wet and take care of any administrative details before heading off into the hills. If you're headed to see the Gorillas you'll need to drop by the regional parks office to register. Kigali is also a great place to take care of onward visas or banking details.
With a very efficient network of minibuses that actually leave on time, getting around Rwanda is very easy. From Kigali minibuses leave hourly to destinations throughout the country. Gisenyi, along the Democratic Republic of Congo border, offers great views of the active volcano in Goma and was once a top destination for tourists.
Further south, Kibuye is one of the most beautiful places in Rwanda with gorgeous views on Lake Kivu. Kibuye was home to some of the worst atrocities of the Genocide - a visit to the church where thousands were killed is a humbling and chilling experience. Not far from the Burundian border, Butare is home to the country's national university and subsequently bustles with friendly multi-lingual students.
Tourabout has a range of tour packages that will lead you on an amazing overland expedition to come face to face with the rare Mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat. Imagine interacting with these beautiful creatures and experiencing the diversity that East Africa is famous for.